1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasound system, and more particularly, to an ultrasound system and method for providing a guide line corresponding to an introduction pathway, i.e., a pathway through which a needle is inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advancement in medical technologies, a technique for treating or examining a living body without direct incision is being used. The technique involves cutting a hole to a minimum size and inserting a medical needle such as an ablator or a biopsy needle into a living tissue having a lesion while observing images of the inside of the living body. This method is called “image-guided surgery” or “interventional surgical procedure” because it is performed by observing the inside of a living body using a medical imaging technique such as computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). That is, the interventional surgical procedure is a technique for treatment or diagnosis whereby a medical needle is inserted directly through the skin into a lesion to be examined or treated while viewing images obtained from CT or MRI during surgery. The interventional surgical procedure usually does not require general anesthesia, involves reduced physical burden of a living body and little pain or torture, requires a short hospital stay, and has short recovery times after surgery. Thus, this procedure is less costly and more effective than a surgical treatment requiring incision.
However, when an interventional surgical procedure is performed by using CT or MR, it is difficult to obtain an image of a living body in real time. Furthermore, use of CT during surgery may pose a risk of long term radiation exposure to both a surgeon and a living body. On the other hand, use of an ultrasound system during an interventional surgical procedure may not only provide real-time ultrasound images but also pose little harm to a living body.